Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1887-09-10

delighted. we set out 20 make tour of tho
Jake N osAer 70 flnd thesmost favorabla 5laee
TO make II camp As we did net know II we
should return to this village, we put all our
gear iato the cameo, and also quarter OF
cooked winter buck which WIN young Is deli
Acious eating, and OF We set natives having
Srlready gone before u lftlIsht canoes to warn
the Inhabitants of the other villages OF our
approach
as wo went we began 10 pass consiicra-
bic accumulation of Il ating rushes, weed,
boughs OF trees, and other rubbish, brought.
skood supposed, 10 this spot by some current,
which he was much puzzled to account for.
Ahile wo were Specializing about this, Sir
Henry pointed out a flock OF large white
swans, which SArsk feeding on the drift some
iletle wng nhend Of Us Now / had already
noticed swans flying about this lake, and
having never como across them before In
Africa, was exceedingly anxious TO obtain q
specimen. | had questioned tho natives
about them, and learned thai tn, camo from
syer The mountain, always arriving at certain
periods OF the year in the early morning.
when II was very easy 10 catch them, on ac-
seunt OF their exhaust condition. l3
We'll, we set to work to salk the swans,
which kept drawing as they fed nearer and
nearer to the precipice, and at last we pushed
the canoe under shelter OF q patch of drift
within forty yards of them. Sir Henry had
the shotgun loaded with No. l, and waiting
sIor chance, got two In q line, and, firing at
their necks, killed them both. Up roso tie
rest thirty or more OF them, with a mighty
splashing, and, as they did SO, he gave them
the other barrel. Down caIne one fellow with
abroken wing, and saw the leg Of another
|. drop and few feathers start out of his back,
Sbut he went on quite strong Up went the
swans circling ever higher till at last thew
were mere specks level with the top of tile
frowning precipice, when saw them form
into triangle and head off for the unknown
northeast. Meanwhile we had picked up our
two dead ones, and beautiful birds they were
Sreighipg not less than about thirty pound.
eaci, plid were chasing tic winged one
which had scrambled over a mass of drift.
weed into pool Of clear water beyond
Finding d Sglculty in forcing the car De
through thd bbish, told our only re,nain
ing Wakwaif Servant, whom knew to be an
excellent swimmer, to jump over, dive ,lnder
the drift. and catch him, knowing that as
there were no crocodiles in this lake he could
come to TO harm Entering into the fun Of
ing about after the winged swan in fine style,
getting gradually nearer to the rock wall,
against which the water washed as he did SO.
Suddenly he gave up swimming after the
swan, and began to cry out that he was being
carried away; and indeed we saw that, though
he was swimming with all his strength toward
tus, he was being drawn slowly toward the
precipice. With few desperate strokes OF
crust of drift and rowed toward the man as
hard as we could, but, fast as We went he
was drawn faster toward the rock. Suddenly
Il saw that before US, jest rising eighteen
inches or SO above the surface OF the lake, was
what looked like the top of the arch OF q sub
III rged cave or railway tunnel. Evidently,
from the water mark on the rock several feet
above it. it was generally entirely submerged
but there had been dry season, and the cold
had prevented the snow from melting as
freely as usual, so the lake was low and the
arch showed. Toward this arch our poor
servant was being sucked with frightful
rapidity. lie was not more than twenty
PAGES from it, and we were about thirty when
L saw it, and with little help from us the
cahoe flew along after him. He struggled
bravely, and / thought that we should have
fSd hiiis h1ciA ahubSliy tNtGblftu I'LL bA
preston of despair come upon his face, and
there before our eyes no was sucked down into
the cruel, swirling, blue depths, and vanished
at tic Same moment felt our canoe seized a,
witn mighty hand and propelled with resist
les force toward tho rock
We realized our danger COW, and rowed, OF
rather padded, furiously in our attempt t.
get out Of the vortex In win; In anothe.
1,ryox 81 trl,A
- ike On arrow, and thought flat we wert
" lost. Luckily, retained sufficient presenc,
of mind to shout out, instantly setting tho ex
ample by throwing myself into the bottom o.
the canoe, "Down OH your faces--downi" anc
che others had the sense to take the hint. Ii
another instant there was q grinding noise
70 and tho boat was pushed down till the wate
began to trickle over the sides, and though
that we were gone But no; suddenly TIN
grinding ceased, and we could again feel til,
canoe flying along. turned my head lit
tlc-I dared not lirt it-and looked up. B,
the feeble light that yet reached tho canoe
could mako out that a dense arch of rocl
hung just over our heads and that was all
In another minute I could not even make on
as much as that, for the faint light ha,
AF1neiged into shadow, and the shadows ha,
y been swallowed up in darkness utter an,
complete.
- For an hour or SO we lay there, not daring
TO lift our heads for fear lest the brains shcul
be dashed out Of them, and scarcely able t
speak even, on account of the noise of til
4 rushing water which drowned our voices
Not indeed, that we had much inclination
speak, seeing that we were overwhelmed b
the awfulness of our position and the imm
nent fear of instant death, either by bein
dashed against the sides of the cavern or on
rock, or being sucked down in tho ragin
waters, or perhaps asphyxiated by want {
air All Of these and many other modes {
death presented themselves to my imagint
ton as | lay at the bottom Of the canoe lister
ing to the swirl of the hurrying waters, whic
ran whittier we know not. One other SCUM
only could hear, and that was Alphonse
intermittent howl of terror coming from I'll
center of the canoe, and even that SCENE
faint and unreal Indeed the whole thin
= overpowcred my brain, and began to b
lieve that was the victim OF some gAnstl
spirit shaking nightmare.
A ~